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Putting oil before democracy is ‘hypocritical’

A senior Venezuelan opposition figure has told ̳ News that is “gullible” to think President Nicolás Maduro can relied upon to provide a source of energy.

It is "the same mistake that Germany and Europe made when they became dependent on Russian gas,” Leopoldo López told the Hardtalk programme’s Stephen Sackur from exile in Spain.

US President Joe Biden signed an order in November 2022 allowing US oil firm Chevron to resume some activity in Venezuela, which had previously been outlawed under sanctions introduced by former President Donald Trump in 2019.

At the same time Venezuela’s government and the opposition agreed to create a UN-managed social fund.

Responding to the fact that many countries are considering doing business with Venezuela, Mr López said: “I think that’s putting profits and oil before democracy and freedom and I think that is hypocritical".

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3 minutes